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The Social Economy in the News

By LORNE ECKERSLEYFor complete article, click here.“A wonderful starting point for the potential of a vibrant new industry in our community,” is how Carmen Rockwell-Hoover describes a recently announced Co-operative Development Initiative program grant.Rockwell-Hoover is co-ordinating a study conducted by Greenheart Herbal Society to determine the viability of a herb growers’ co-operative in the Creston Valley.

The city proposes to establish an integrated team of police officers, business associations, and social service agencies to curb the panhandling problem in Edmonton, according to a report.The team will be responsible for increasing the presence of outreach workers from the Boyle Street Community Services and working to gain the trust of panhandlers.

This 30-page document produced by the Canadian Co-operative Association features a collection of profiles that provide examples of how Canadians have used the co-operative model in innovative ways. It shows that, far from being powerless, we can, through co-operation, forge new futures for ourselves, our communities and our country. Click here to find the document.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HOLDS CO-OP POLICY FORUMMore than 40 co-op leaders, consultants and social enterprise experts from across Canada gathered in Ottawa on March 23-24 to talk to the federal government about policies and programs in support of co-operatives. "Towards 2012: Building a Conducive Environment for Co-operatives" was the first in a series of dialogues organized by the government's Co-operatives Secretariat aimed at shaping federal policy and setting the stage for the 2012 International Year of Co-operatives.

Liberals make big plans for something called 'the social economy'Kelly McParland, Canadian politics

Apparently Stephen Harper has been letting down the social economy.I have to confess I'm not very familiar with the social economy. I assume it's different than the economic economy, but to be honest I'm just guessing. I'd never even heard the term until I came across it on the Liberal party web site, which declares that the party is working, beaverlike, to develop it.

Five-year study will look at why some can’t afford to put food on the tableBy CLARE MELLOR Staff Reporter, The Chronicle Herald Thu. Mar 11, 2010Studies show as many as 15 per cent of Nova Scotia households have a problem putting food on the table."We know . . . that some people do experience hunger," Patricia Williams, a professor at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, said Wednesday."Some people go without for many days at a time."

Ontario is raising the minimum wage to $10.25 on March 31, 2010. This is the seventh increase since 2004.

The province of Ontario started implementing annual increases early in 2003, raising the general minimum wage from $6.85 in 2004 to $9.50 in 2009. Phasing in these increases balances the needs of hard working families with the needs of small businesses that create jobs.

The provincial government announced today it will distribute $247,000 to seven community-based organizations under the Provincial Wellness Plan. According to a news release, the funding supports projects designed to address food security issues. The grants are in addition to the Provincial Wellness Grants, which will be awarded in the coming weeks.

Ottawa March 1, 2010 ̶̶ Canadians have a new way to experience the fight to endglobal poverty thanks to a virtual movie theatre recently unveiled by the CanadianCo-operative Association (CCA) on its website.

"On any given day, Canadians are working in remote corners of the globe to helpcredit union and co-operative leaders move their communities out of poverty," saidCCA media relations manager David Shanks. "We created the CCA Cineplex to give

By Ken Battle, Sheri Torjman and Michael Mendelson in the Globe and Mail.

Welfare is the tangled safety net that doesn't work. It is a complicated system that is difficult to understand and administer. While many people use it only once and get back on their feet, some languish on that program for years. Far from an exit from poverty, welfare has become a social and economic ghetto that creates incentives for dependence and disincentives for independence.

The provincial government and the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council kicked-off a new partnership today (Feb. 24) that will connect unemployed or under-employed Nova Scotians with jobs that meet today's labour market needs.

Premier Darrell Dexter and Community Services Minister Denise Peterson-Rafuse launched the Target 100 employment program. Mountain Equipment Co-op, a member of the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council, hosted the event, which was broadcast live via a government webcast.

Ladysmith is considering adopting a food charter.Members of the Cowichan Green Community visited Ladysmith’s government services committee meeting on Feb. 15 to talk about the Cowichan Food Charter, a document that outlines the future of food and food security in the CVRD.“We are an environmental organization said Judy Stafford during a presentation.The organization has been involved in building community gardens and is mapping food production in the Cowichan Valley.